The main entrance of the Lockheed Martin plant in Goodyear, Ariz., on Thursday. The Lockheed Martin Corp. is cutting ties with the Boy Scouts of America because the group does not allow gay Scout leaders, officials told the MDJ on Wednesday.
The Associated Press

The Lockheed Martin Corp. is cutting ties with the Boy Scouts of America because the group does not allow gay Scout leaders, officials told the MDJ on Wednesday.

“While we applaud the mission of the Boy Scouts and the good things they do in our communities, their policies that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and religious affiliation conflict with Lockheed Martin policies,” said Lockheed spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

The reference to “religious affiliation” has to do with the Boy Scouts’ ban on atheist members.

Because the policies of the BSA “do not align” with the defense contractor’s, Lockheed “will withdraw all official, company-sanctioned support from the Boy Scouts of America, effective January 1, 2014,” Lockheed spokesman Johnny Whitaker said.

“This includes all company monetary contributions and company-sponsored employee activities with the Scouts like facility tours, on-site Scouting activities and events, service on the Atlanta Council’s executive board and employee volunteer activities on company time,” he said.

The company’s Marietta plant contributed about $25,000 to metro Atlanta-area Scouting activities and programs this year. The employee-giving fund called the LM AERO Club contributed another $30,000 this year, he said.

The BSA’s National Council this summer approved a resolution to remove the restriction that denied membership to boys if they openly identified as gay. That decision divided the community with churches such as Roswell Street Baptist in Marietta and Johnson Ferry Baptist in east Cobb cutting ties with the Scouts.

Pike said no one should discriminate against someone based on sexual orientation, which she said people are born with.

“To discriminate against people who want to better the lives of children, you know, homosexuality is not equated with pedophilia. People need to make that distinction,” Pike said.

Pike doesn’t believe Lockheed’s decision will impact the company much.

“They’re still a huge defense contractor,” she said. “I don’t think it’s going to make a large difference either way, but I hope for their employees who are either atheists or homosexual, they feel a little bit more proud to wear the Lockheed logo on their shirt knowing that their employer stands behind them.”

State Sen. Judson Hill, an east Cobb Republican who chairs the Cobb Legislative Delegation, has a different view.

“It’s extremely disappointing,” Hill said of Lockheed’s decision. “I would hope that the leadership there at Lockheed would do their best to avoid engaging in the politics surrounding an initiative to harm the Boy Scouts, and support the Boy Scouts and their parents’ right to First Amendment freedom of speech and freedom of association as guaranteed in our Constitution, and by choosing to politicize some recent announcements to hurt the young people of our community is sad.”

The Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. Marietta operation employs about 6,300 people in its 8.9 million square feet of facilities located on more than 900 acres. It is the home of the C-130 Hercules, the world’s longest continuously active military aircraft production line. Another major program is the modernization of the U.S. Air Force’s largest aircraft, the C-5 Galaxy. Marietta employees also build the center wing assembly, a major internal skeletal structure for the new, 5th generation international multi-role stealth fighter, the F-35 Lightning II. Finally, Marietta workers construct new wings for the 50-year-old P-3 Orion maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.

The comparison of homosexuals with African-Americans is a false one. Homosexuality is a pattern of behavior. It may be rooted in psychology, may be in genetics, but there is no evidence that a person is born “gay.” The claim is widely accepted but only because it has been constantly repeated for twenty years. It is an untestable proposition and was at first rejected by the African-American community. It has no more basis in fact than the statement that blacks have natural rhythm, but because the gay rights movement has heavy financial backing, black leaders now repeat the mantra. Many others back the gays because they accept the premise that the sex act has no end more important than the pleasure deprived from it. That procreation is morally dubious, because humanity has over populated the planet and needs radically to decrease in numbers. At the same time, no one is willing to retreat to the desert and give up the pleasures an industrial society bring, or the medical cures that enable us to abuse our bodies without fear of consequence.

To all those who have posted their discontent with Lockheed. Was your reaction the same when the first African Americans came to work at Lockheed? Was your reaction the same when African Americans were finally given the right to vote or marry outside of their race?

I can tell that a lot of these comments are coming from straight men. I can also tell there is a lot of anger and hatred coming from them. It sounds to me like they are happy if they dominate their wife, keep her barefoot and pregnant and in the kitchen. Make sure they take their sons out to do manly things, and keep their daughters in the house learning to be a wife. This is the type of mentality that breeds boys who grow up to be men that think that if their family or anyone else doesn't conform to what they believe in then they should use aggression (beat the crap out of you) to get you to conform to their way of thinking. This is so sad on so many levels.

Do these companies jumping in bed with homos realize that homosexuals absolutely love teen boys. Look at the pervert Harvey Milk. And countless other homos like him just go weak in the knees when they see a Boy Scout troop gathered together. Molestation is how many of them were brought into the life. Look at Sandusky and all the mess he did. They are all like Sandusky.

I am curious as to where you get your information that gays love young boys. I think you have the gays confused with the men loving boys group. Yes there is a group called men loving boys. Google it. Please try to be more informed before you start spewing hate. Ignorance on this makes you look like a complete idiot. Sandusky is a pedophile. Pedophile and gay are two different things.

LMAC Retiree

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December 19, 2013

What has the world come to? Crazy. Homosexuals and atheists are the outliers in society, they are not the norm. As a Lockheed employee for almost 35 years, I abhor this action. When I was working on compartmented programs, NO homosexuals were able to get clearances for obvious reasons. The country has gone down the tubes since Bill Jeff's administration and now Lockheed has joined this disgusting coalition. God save America!

Can’t see why a normal Christian family wouldn’t want a sexual deviant homo scout leader taken their young children into the woods. Lockheed makes all their employees take EEOC and Diversity courses I guess the Boy Scouts don’t have constitutional rights just weirdoes, I guess this is what Lockheed is looking for. Why doesn’t Lockheed have anything for Christians during company affairs they have homo and lisbo representation under the guise of Diversity. These very people that Lockheed seems to embrace are the last ones to take up arms are defend a country. Look for LM AERO to shrink in their fund rising with their bigotry attitude. Thanks to Judson Hill for standing tall time for us Christians to take back our country from the deviants. I won’t help lobby for you anymore Lockheed!

Lisbon? There is so much ignorance in this post that all I can do is roll my eyes and hope that you become a little more open minded. That scout leader is not going to molest the scout. It is usually the straight, married one that will. Maybe you need to look at the straight ones too.

Pam H

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December 19, 2013

United Way did the same years ago so I stopped contributing through my company. Why any parent would want to send their son on a camping trip with a homosexual is beyond me! These same hypocrits more than likely complain about abuse by priests who abuse young boys but I am sure they weren't really homosexuals!

I freelance over th℮ internet and earn about 80-85$ an hour. I was without a job for 7 months but last month my paycheck with big fat bonus was $15000 just working on my computer from my home for 5-6 hours. Here's what i have been doing----->----> w­w­w.D­A­Y­3­4.c­o­m

Hill Commercial

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December 19, 2013

C'mon MDJ - I can't believe you approved an advertising spam mail - this is called phishing and you guys fell for it. Wake up!

LibinCobb

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December 21, 2013

So you are opposed to equality for all?

Geneo25

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December 19, 2013

Why do you not allow a male to be a girl scout mother and take the girls camping? Would you use a wolf to heard your sheep or use a sheep dog? Socially correct morons!!!!!

The BSAs policy on gay leadership isn't "No gays allowed" it's just "No openly gay leaders". It's a policy I agree with. Think about it for a second, A metro area boy scout troop with a flamboyantly gay leader... how many parents would be interested in sending thier sons there? It apparently does not matter to certain members of the community that the BSA has done so much good over the last 100 years. The important thing now is that the organization do what a small percantage of the population demands or be shut down by threats to thier supporters. How petty and small those people must be.

Nice going Lockheed. Whether the Boy Scouts allow Gay Leaders is none of your business. Thanks for shoving DIversity down everyones throat including mine.It seems in this country and at Lockheed, if you disagree with the Homosexuality lifestyle your a Homophobe and a bigot. I dont care if your Gay,green or purple,I will work beside you but, i dont agree with your lifestyle, that's my choice. The Boy Scouts Of America have the right to decide whats best for their group, so good take your money and go home.

Lockheed is only doing themselves a disservice. The cub scouts are too young to understand the reasoning behind this, all they will know is that "I'm not allowed to tour Lockheed because I'm a boy scout". Way to alienate some of your best future employee prospects, Lockheed! They DID have some great programs for the scouts. Oh well, I guess Boeing will reap the benefits.

If you have such a high level of unconcern, why did you bother to post?

Gay in Cobb

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December 19, 2013

Folks the world has changed and the days of discrimination are coming to an end. Why is it that the South has such issues with individuals based on race, gender, and sexual orientation. This is not about support for an organization but about the need to cease and desist unlawful and unacceptable bigotry attitudes and behaviors.

Legal discrimination needs to end. Personal opinions continue. I don't think it's right or natural, by faith or science.

Traditionalist

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December 19, 2013

Just because degenerates desire to be accepted doesn't mean the world should comply. Homosexuals are free to practice their perversion just don't bring it out of the bedroom. Perversion is NOT a protected right, nor is it bigotry to speak out against it and no amount of caterwauling by a rabid bunch of freaks will change that.

LibinCobb

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December 21, 2013

@anonymous: With out-of-staters moving to GA, the overall IQ has increased and a marked increase in understanding has also occurred. You have not caught on yet, not a surprise.

Jay B

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December 19, 2013

“I cant believe Melissa Pike said. “You put your money where your mouth is. I don't think I would have used the word "mouth and money referring to gays".

Also homosexuality is not equated with pedophilia? She needs to read a couple of Craig's list personal adds. Its just another shot in the war on decency.

This is, quite possibly, the worst comparison I've ever seen. a)alcoholism is a disease b)you are equating being gay with pedophilia. By your logic (or lack thereof), if gay men can't help but molest little boys, can straight men not help but molest little girls? Better watch who is teaching your kids in Sunday School, pal. Don't like Lockheed's new policy? Quit.

Kevin Foley

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December 19, 2013

A lot of horn dog CEOs have a lot of female executives reporting to them.

Is that also like an alcoholic running a liquor store?

ge0ffrey

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December 19, 2013

"Common Sense Police," you're wrong because although sometimes heterosexuals can be developmentally disordered, homosexuals are ALWAYS developmentally disordered. Homosexuality is psychosexual maldevelopment. Sorry. And, by the way, it's unnatural. Homosexuality rarely occurs in nature, and when it does it occurs in only two instances: 1) as an act of domination or 2) among the sexually immature for a very short period of time. Sorry.

LM Employee

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December 19, 2013

I dont understand why my company is implementing this now. The Boy Scouts have not allowed Gays for years. I have been a Lockheed employee here in Marietta for over 20 years. It is a shame that my company which claims to embrace diversity and inclusion has now shut out the Boy Scouts. I have two children that have benefitted from their involvement with the scouts. Teen boys have enough distractions from the media (there is so much garbage on TV now)and technology (video games to inappropriate websites). These kids benefit from the leadership opportunities available with scouting. Lockheed would hold merrit badge clinics each year that my children and others have loved. The scouts will prevail even without the funds and opportunities from Lockheed. I have stopped my contributions to the LM Aero club and will give directly to the Boy Scouts. I hope others will finalcially help support the Boy Scouts even more in the coming years to suppliment the losses from weak companies like the one I work for

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